Collapsible container provided with fluid-tight joint



Sept. 26, 1961 F. E. BROWN COLLAPSIBLE!l CONTAINER PROVIDED WITHFLUID-TIGHT JOINT Filed May 9, 1957 A #ma INVENTOR. Frank E.Brown IMmyawa/m/MM@ ATTORNEYS United States Patent O COLLAPSIBLE CONTAIERPROVIDED WITH FLUID-TIGHT JOINT Frank E. Brown, Glendale, Calif.,assignor to Unette Corporation, Burhank, Calif., a corporation ofDelaware Filed May 9, 1957, Ser. No. 658,042 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-107) Myinvention relates to containing and dispensing uent materials, such asmedicaments, lubricants and the like, and in particular provides acontainer-dispenser having a mechanical joint between a flexible tubularcontainer member and a more rigid member, such vas an applicator.

Of the more desirable materials for forming collapsible containers arethe well known copolymers of vinylidene chloride and vinyl chloride.These materials can be made tlexible and transparent and are relativelyimpermeable to most iiuent materials. When, however, it is desired toconstruct -a container which is `attached to an applicator fordispensing ya contained material, the applicator desirably is formed yasa separate part Since it must have greater thickness to impart a certaindegree of rigidity. The amount of material required in forming theapplicator portion of a container-dispenser, therefore, generallyprohibits the use of vinylidene chloride-vinyl chloride copolymers,since the cost of such copolymers is relatively high as comparedwithmaterials, such as polyethylene. It is also relatively ditlcult toform particular shapes from the aforenoted copolymers and theirdesirable property of impermeability is not usually necessary inconstructing the applicator portion of a container-dispenser.

Vinylidene chloride-vinyl chloride copolymers, however, are not readilyjoined to materials such as polyethylene, since the two types ofmaterials have dilerent fusing points and since most cements availablefor the purpose are generally soluble in the liquids which are typicallyto be contained and dispensed.

It is accordingly an important object of my invention to providea'uid-tigh-t mechanical seal which will securely hold a tubular body,such as a collapsible container, in a relatively more rigid member, suchas an applicator for the container. Y

This and other objects of my invention are essentially obtained byproviding the more rigid member at its end where it is to be joined tothe tubular member with a cylindrical slot in the form of an annularspace between a pair of cylindrical anges. The slot is sized freely toreceive the tubular open end of a container and then the flanges areforced together tightly, receiving the tubular end of the container byinserting a plug inside the inner ange to deform it outwardly.

For -a more complete understanding of the principles of my invention,reference is made to the appended drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section through a typical tube and applicatorbefore assembly;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, showing the two parts positionedtogether prior to securing the mechanical joint between them;

FGURE 3 is a view similar to the preceding iigures, illustrating themechanical seal between the members and a manner of filling the tubularmember;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to the preceding figures, illustratingsealing off the lled tubular container; and

FIGURE 5 is an elevation of a completed container.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral indicates a cut lengthof exible thin-walled tubular ma.erial, such as a vinylidenechloride-vinyl chloride copolymer, and the reference numeral 11indicates a relatively thick-walled elongated Iapplicator tube suitablefor rectal insertion or the like.

lt will be noted that applicator tube 11, which prefer- "ice ably isformed ofhigh-grade crystalline polyethylene, includes an elongatedinsertion tube 12 through which extends a narrow bore 13. At one endtube 12 is suitably stoppered by a plug 14, and at its other end tube 12is :dared outwardly to forma shoulder 15. On the opposite side ofshoulder 15, bore 13 is enlarged as indicated at 16 and is defined bythe inner wall of a cylindrical skirt i7. A second cylindrical skirt `18is coaxally positioned about and spaced outwardly from inner skirt 17such that the outer wall of inner skirt 17 Vand the inner wall of outerskirt 18 define a cylindrical recess 1,9 in the end of applicator 11remote from plug 14. The dimensions of skirts 17 and 18 are arrangedsuch that thin-walled tube 1li will pass freely into the recess 19. Thusthe outside `diameter 4of inner skirt 17 is less than the insidediameter of tubular member 10, and the inside diameter of outside skirt18 is greater than the outside diameter of tubular member 10.

in order to fabricate a useful container-dispenser, the two pieces,tubular member 10 and applicator 11, are first positioned with one end20 of tubular member 10 adjacent to recess 19 defined between skirts 17and 18 of applicator 11. Suitably, plug 14 is emplaced in bore 13 `ofinsertion tube 12 (see FIGURE 1). Y

Thereafter, end 20 of tubular member 10 is inserte into recess 19. Aplug 21 of approximately oval longitudinal section and circulartransverse section having a central longitudinal bore 22 is theninserted into the' enlarged bore portion 16 of applicator 11 in thefollowing manner.

A thin tube 23 is first inserted into bore 22 of plug 21, frietionallyholding plug 21 on the end of tube 23.v A sleeve 24 is then passed overtube 23 with its end 25 abutting plug 21. The assembly of plug 21, tube23 and sleeve 24 are then inserted into the open end 26 of tubularmember 1t) (see FIGURE 2). As plug 21 reaches bore portion 16, sleevel24 is reciprocated downwardly on tube 23, forcing plug 21 into boreportion 16 Iand oi the end of tube 23. f

It will be observed that the transverse dimensions' of plug 21 near itscenter are substantially greater than the diameter of bore portion 16,that is, the inside diameter of inner skirt 17. 'Ihus when plug 21 isforced into bore portion 16, plug 21 deforms skirt 17 near its center,forcing it outwardly -a suicient amount to receive the end 20 of tubularmember 10 in tight contact and to expand end 20 into contact with theinner face of outer skirt 18 deforming the center of outer skirt 18slightly (see FiGURE 3). It will be `also noted that as so positioned,bore 22 of plug 21 registers with bore 13 of insertion tube 12, thuscommunicating the interior 27 of tubular member 10 with bore 13.

The seal thus formed between applicator 11 and tubular member 10 is sosecure that in typical construction the amount of force required to pulltubular member 10 out of engagement with lapplicator 11 exceeds thetensile strength of the material from which tubular member 10 is formed.Also, the distance along the inner faces between the interior 27 oftubular member 10 through the joint against which sealing pressure isapplied by plug 21 is suiciently great to prevent vleakage of even themost surface-active of materials.

Construction of the container-dispenser is then completed by withdrawingsleeve 24 and tube 23 together and while doing so metering into space 27the desired quantity of material to be contained through tube 23 (alsosee FIGURE 3). Thereafter, end 26 of tubular member 10 is closed betweena pair of electrodes in a radio frequency welding circuit. Radiofrequency energy is then applied to heat the dielectric material formingtubular member 10 and weld flattened end 26 closed (see FIG- URE 4).

The container-dispenser thus constructed (see FIG- URE 5) is of courseemployed by removing plug Y14, in! sorting tube 12 to a position todispense the contents of the container where desired. rPhe side wallsformed by tubular member .16 between sealed end 26 and applicator'll-are then pressed together to eject the contents in space 27throughbore 22 and bore 13.

Although I have described my invention with reference to avparticularcontainer-dispenser construction, it will be evident Vthat the jointdescribed will .be generally useful in secu-ring a relatively more rigidpiece on the end of a tubular member for almost Iany Vpurpose where owof a material is desired to pass through the sealed, joint.

- il.' A dispenser-container which includes -athin-,walled Y flexibletubular container body sealed at one end thereof and open at -the otherend thereof, a relatively rigid discharge' member for said containerhaving an open ended discharge passageway therethrough, Va irstcylindrical on said member surrounding ail-opening therein of saidYdischarge passageway, second cylindrical vskirt on said' open en'dofsaid container body, a vrzvlug-havingaV bore therethrough disposedinside said -rst skirt with said bore registering with said dischargepassageway to communicate the interior of said container body with saidpassageway, said plug having a transverse dimension suv ciently great tomaintain said first skirt deformed outwardly into contact with said openend ot said container body' to maintain said open end of said containerbody expanded into' contact with said second skirt.

Y2. A dispenser-container which includes ta thin-walled flexible tubularcontainer body sealed at one end thereof andopen at the other endthereof, a relatively rigid elongated discharge member for saidVcontainer having a discharge passageway therethrough opening at eachend of said member, -a irst cylindrical skirt on one end of said membersurrounding the opening therein of said discharge passageway, a secondcylindrical skirt on said one end of said member coaxiallyfpositionedabout and spaced outwardly from said lirst skirt, said skirts deningbetween them a cylindrical recess in said one end of said member freelyreceiving said open end of said container body, an elongated plug havinga bore formed lengthwise therescrollers through disposed inside saidtirst skirt with said bore registering with said'discharge passageway tocommunicate the interior of said container body With said passageway,said plug having avtransverse dimension suiciently great to maintainsaid first deformed outwardly. into contact with said open end of saidcontainer body to maintain. said open end Ot said container body @Xpndedinto contact with Said second Skirt.

3. A dispenser-container w` f ch includes a thin-walled iiexible tubularcontainerbody coutructedrof vinylidene chloride-vinyl chloridecopolymer, said container body beingsealed at one end thereof and openaft'the other end thereof, la--relatvely rigid elongated dischargememberfor said container constructed of crystalline polyethylene, saiddischarge memberhaving ja discharge passageway therethrough openingateach end `of said member, a rstv cylindrical skirt on one end o-saidmember surrounding the opening thereinofsaid discharge passageway, asec- 0nd cylindrical skirt on said vone end-of said member coaxiallyvpositioned about and spaced outwardly from sm'd `iirst skirt,saidskirts defining between thema cylindrical recess in said oneend ofsaid member freely receiving said open end of said container body, anelongated plug having a bore formed lengthwise therethrough disposedinside said frst-skirt with said bore registering with said dischargepassageway to communicate the interior of said -containerrbody with saidpassageway, said plug having Va transverse dimension suiciently great tomaintain said rst skirt deformed outwardly into contact with said openend of said container body and to maintain said open end of'saidcontainer body expanded into contact with said secondskirt. v I

References Cited inthe tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Peachet al Oct. 2l, 1952

